Question: $ E = \left[\begin{array}{rr}2 & -2 \\ 2 & -2\end{array}\right]$ $ B = \left[\begin{array}{rrr}3 & 4 & 2 \\ 1 & -2 & -1\end{array}\right]$ What is $ E B$ ?
Answer: Because $ E$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ and $ B$ has dimensions $(2\times3)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(2\times3)$ $ E B = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{2} & {-2} \\ {2} & {-2}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{3} & \color{#DF0030}{4} & \color{#9D38BD}{2} \\ {1} & \color{#DF0030}{-2} & \color{#9D38BD}{-1}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rrr}? & ? & ? \\ ? & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ E$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ B$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ E$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ B$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ E$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ B$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & ? & ? \\ ? & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ E$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ B$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & ? & ? \\ {2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ E$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ B$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & {2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+{-2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2} & ? \\ {2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & {2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+{-2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2} & {2}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{2}+{-2}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{-1} \\ {2}\cdot{3}+{-2}\cdot{1} & {2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+{-2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2} & {2}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{2}+{-2}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{-1}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}4 & 12 & 6 \\ 4 & 12 & 6\end{array}\right] $